digital piano for my daughter

sukysue

Hello everyone I hope you can help me!
my daughter has just passed her grade 1 piano (how I dunno but there you go)!was hoping she didn't cos then I wunt have to fork out for better piano (just shows how bad a skinflint I am )!(never mind a mother)!
anyway I know next to nowt about pianos just that we will have to have a digital one.too heavy the acoustic ones and you have to have em tuned !
Does anyone know where to buy these from ,for the cheapest price of course!
thanks so much
Sue
x

Johnny_Hamster

I bought a fantatic yamaha PSR 295 keyboard for about £110 from http://www.singingchicken.co.uk/, drove 40 miles to pick it up from Pewsey Wilts, but they deliver for about £9.95. They also trade as Musical Instrument Megastore.
If you're serious about learning, you'd be better off with a couple more octaves range though.

sukysue

thanks Ian and Johnny for replying
I want to keep to around the £ 400 - £ 500 mark
she plays on a very nice but inadequate yamaha 61 note keyboard
am thinking of getting the yamaha ydp 131
any thoughts on this one please?

unsure

A word of warning: when my daughter started palying piano we were told there is a significant difference bwtween a "keyboard" and both acoustic and electronic "pianos". Most keyboards, esp the cheaper ones, have less(if any) action and the pressure you put on a key will not greatly effect the sound produced. An electronic piano, like the real thing, is much more sensitive and a light touch will produce a correspondingly quiet/soft note a heavier touch will produce a louder/stronger sound.
We were told that, esp in the earlier stages it was important for her to get the true "feel" of the piano keyboard and not to buy a cheap keyboard becuase of its limitations...a good electronic piano with a convincing feel and sound will probably cost as much (or more)than a beginner's second hand "real" piano. We got good advice from a piano tuner who refurbed old pianos and picked out one for her at about £200. It does need tuning at least once a year (£40) last time. She is about to do her Grade 4 exams and after that we might finally have to think about a new piano. The old one will be worth pretty much what we bought it for and will do another learner very well.
We do have a Yamaha keyboard which was donated by a friend which she tootles around on for fun but finds much less satisfactory than the paino.
I should add that I am compleltey unmusical and am passing on the wisdom of others who know better inc OH. Her teacher should be able to give good advice. Hope that's useful.

jobbingmusician

Unsure, you are absolutely right - whatever you spend, be careful to make sure it is touch sensitive.

patricia5

Congratulations to your daughter and teacher, you must be very proud! Getting through the grade 1 is the hardest leap. I was taught piano when I was young and even though it def was not cool at the time, it IS an unusual skill and I'm never short of attention when I start to play in pubs, parties etc! :beer: I'm the only person I know who can play the piano!!I'm so grateful that my MandD persevered back then ( it wasn't cheap in the 80's for lessons) and I'm now encouraging my youngest to learn.

Please look at a cheap second hand REAL piano rather than digital. It's a beautiful peice of furniture as well as a beautiful 'noise' around the house.

All the best..

sukysue

Thanks very much to all of you for replying to me so quickly and for the encouraging comments.
I am now thinking seriously about getting a @real @ piano even though they need tuning and are heavy
she is currently learning on a clavinova with her teacher
and am thinking it's to difficult for her to have to take exams on a 'real' one after using the digital ones.So will have to think some more but thanks again.